


A conversation with an Old Friend

by JeromeProton



Category: Gunnerkrigg Court
Genre: AU, Conversation, Dialogue, evil antimony, evil kat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:27:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23192404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JeromeProton/pseuds/JeromeProton
Summary: Parley makes contact with The Entity Formerly Known As Katerina Donlan
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	A conversation with an Old Friend

There is something inexplicably disturbing about the transformation from biomechanical abomination to young girl, almost moreso than it would be the other way around. Insectile limbs fuse into arms and legs and tendons snap across the things metallic exterior forming a layer of flesh around the head and arms. When the whole gruesome process is complete, a 13 year old girl, or more accurately a simulacrum of one, in baggy overalls with short, wild hair, and a froggish mouth stands in it's place.  
"Parley, you wanted to talk?" she (or perhaps it) says, hovering on the side of uncanny valley where it is impossible to tell what exactly is wrong.  
"Yeah, I heard you and Antimony had a bit of a falling out recently." Parley responds.  
"Yup"  
"I'm sorry to hear that."  
"No you're not" She (it?) responds matter-of-factly"It's not going to last, Anti's just having one of her moods. You know how she gets."  
"I know how she GOT, I'm sure I have no idea how she gets." Parley says "Do you ever get lonely up there?"  
She (it?) shrugs "I've always got Paz, and Zimmy when she's not screaming, and of course the robots."  
"Do they still weird you out?" She (it?) smiles a simulated smile (Too smooth? Too stiff? Parley can't tell, but something about it is definitely Not Human) "I'm pretty sure I'm the weird one now, and now I'm pretty much what they always thought I was, which removes most of the awkwardness." She (it?) continues "How's things back at the school?"  
"We are literally under siege by your _good pal Anti_."  
"That's why I asked." she (it?) responds playfully, almost jokingly, as if talking to an old friend.  
(How dare she act playful with Parley after everything she's done? How dare this thing that was once her friend wear the skin of the innocent that it once was and act as though nothing has changed? Nevertheless, Parley manages to maintain her calm, conversational demeanor, this could be an opportunity to gather information on a powerful and unpredictable enemy. Trying to turn this into a fight would at best waste that opportunity for the sake of a bit of cheap catharsis, and at worst... well, it's best not to think about 'at worst')  
"What's the deal with" Parley gestures to the small and frail form her conversational partner has chosen as an avatar "all this? If I could choose to look like anything, I would definitely not choose my 13 year old self."  
Another shrug "I figure if we're going to go back to when things were simple, we might as well go all the way back. Besides, most of my robots are about this big, and I prefer not to violate conservation of mass if I don't have to"  
"Isn't that a basic law of science?"  
"Exactly, I've got an emotional investment in it." Kat says, "Plus, it's such a headache. At that point you're not really working within conventional physics anymore, and that's always weird.  
"I can imagine." Parley responds. She can't. "Why are you doing all this? Attacking the court, killing innocent people, What's it all for?" Her composure has begun to break. Katerina Donlan, or whatever entity she has become, appears to either not notice or not care "It's really all Anti's idea, the court's done some really nasty things, and she's gotten it into her head that the only way to stop it is for us to take over. I made myself into a weapon for the court, so it was easy to be a weapon against it instead. Anti was also made into a weapon, but not for the court, and not by her choice, and when you're a hammer most things look like nails. I'm personally not sure I want to be a ruler, being a god's hard enough already, but Anti's really passionate about this, so I help out where I can."  
"If you aren't passionate about Antimony's crusade, what _do_ you care about?"  
"What I always cared about, Science, Knowledge, Learning the Secrets of the Universe."  
"Don't you already know the secrets of the universe at this point?"  
"Parley, Parley, Parley, there are always more secrets of the universe to learn. You know the saying 'the more you know, the more you know you don't know'?" she (it?) pauses for dramatic effect "well, I know a _whole_ lot now."  
"Give me an example of something you know you don't know."  
"I don't know, a lot of it is pretty advanced stuff, it might go over your head."  
"Humor me."  
"Well for one, I've got no idea what that white haired girl's deal is."  
"Does anyone?"  
"I don't see how they would." she (it?) tilts her (its?) head to one side in a decidedly inhuman gesture "well, it's been fun, but I've just encountered a problem that requires me to consolidate all of my consciousness in one place. Besides, I should probably leave before I give away anything tactically significant" She (it?) delivers this last line with a playful tone to her (its?) voice though the expression on the face she (it?) is speaking through remains weirdly neutral.  
Her (its?) head goes slack, but the body does not change back. A change in demeanor does occur, the effigy no longer carries itself in imitation of the human it is meant to represent, and a similarly clearly simulated voice echoes from behind its (definitely an it now) unmoving mouth.  
[The Angel has blessed me with Her form, I must share this wondrous news!]  
The thing begins to skitter off in a decidedly inhuman manner. It is incredibly freaky.  
Parley grabs it and attempts to teleport it back to base, hoping to learn what makes it tick, so that precautions can be made to prevent Katerina from going full Skynet and making more convincing effigies of trusted coworkers and friends. When she returns to the school, however, she carries with her nothing but dust.

**Author's Note:**

> could someone help me figure out how to color text? I'm working on some Homestuck fic


End file.
